BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – The people behind the new Thomas Magnum don't want you thinking too much about the old Thomas Magnum.

CBS' upcoming reboot of "Magnum P.I." (due Sept. 24), starring Jay Hernandez in the title role, updates the 1980s favorite for a 2018 audience. And as executive producer Peter Lenkov told the Television Critics Association press tour Sunday, that includes adding a female voice.

"First and foremost, I thought it was a boys club," Lenkov said of the original series, which aired from 1980-88 and starred Tom Selleck. "If you’re going to do it in 2018, you need a strong female voice."

Lenkov added that female voice by making Higgins (originally portrayed by John Hillerman) a woman, played by Perdita Weeks.

"I love that conflict in the original show between Higgins and Magnum," he said. "There was real respect at the core of it. And on the surface they would butt heads. And I thought playing it a little differently with a female character just felt really fresh ... and ultimately we’ll see where it goes as the relationship grows."

When asked why he didn't choose to make any other supporting character, like T.C. or Rick (Stephen Hill and Zachary Knighton in the new version) female, Lenkov said he wanted to preserve the "brotherhood" established by male military veterans.